Imagine Lower Sproul Plaza as an active and friendly
information center, as efficient as the entrance to
Disneyland, or sleek and sophisticated as New York City's
Lincoln Center.

Such visions of grandeur -- offered by town hall meeting
participants last fall -- are being taken seriously by
campus planners seeking to transform the high-traffic but
aesthetically impaired parcel.

One thing for sure -- Lower Sproul Plaza needs help.
Eshleman Hall is rated seismically poor. The student union
and Chavez Center are in need of deferred maintenance. The
open space bordered by those buildings and Zellerbach Hall
is underutilized. Its program and retail venues are hidden
from view and difficult to access.

"The area does not reflect the world-class ranking the
campus enjoys," said Heather Hood, an associate planner for
Physical and Environmental Planning. "We would like to see
the Lower Sproul complex be revitalized into a hub for
student life and the campus community."

To accomplish this goal, Hood and others are embarking on
the Lower Sproul Revitalization Project. The impetus for the
plan was to address the poor structural conditions and
deferred maintenance of the surrounding buildings. But the
campus also saw an opportunity to look at the whole area and
develop ideas for improving both its looks and how it
functions as a public space.

Goals for the plan include correcting seismic problems;
improving student access to services and programs, such as
the Career Center and Academic Achievement Division; and
creating an inviting connection between the campus and
community. Both design and programming considerations are
being weighed.

The project kicked off late last fall with three town
hall meetings for students, staff and community members.
Participants offered abundant feedback on what they like and
don't like about the space, and they designed postcards
depicting what a new and improved plaza might look like.

One of the most complex problems is deciding which
programs will have a presence in the area.

People have offered a wealth of ideas about what they'd
like to see on Lower Sproul -- including art gallery space,
a wheelchair repair shop, computer labs and child care as
well as satellite posts for Parking and Transportation,
housing and the campus police -- all in addition to the
multitude of programs already housed there.

But there isn't room to implement all these ideas, Hood
notes, so a careful review of potential and existing
services will be made before any changes are made.

"We want to have a complete understanding of what the
needs are for users of this area," said programming
consultant Bill Glass. "We want to meet with key current and
potential stakeholders to determine what folks want to see
here."

Glass is meeting with stakeholders this month, and will
use information gleaned to develop charts and diagrams of
programming alternatives. Conceptual designs will be
produced in May.

In the meantime, the campus is exploring financing
strategies. Possible sources include student fees, deferred
maintenance money, seismic funds, donor funds, and corporate
partnerships. A more refined financial, design and
programming vision of the plan will be presented to the
campus in fall 2000.

The project will serve as a case study for similar New
Century Plan-upgrades of the west campus entrance and
interdisciplinary studies in the northeast corner of
campus.

Upcoming New Century Plan community workshops offer an
opportunity to give input on the Lower Sproul Revitalization
Study. Workshops are scheduled for 7 p.m., Monday, April 3
and Monday, May 8 in Alumni House. For information, visit
the Lower Sproul Web site at (uga.berkeley.
edu/lowersproul).